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United States Patent |
6,178,784
|
Marley, Jr.
|
January 30, 2001
|
Knit criss-cross brassiere, blank and method for making same
Abstract
A brassiere having a minimal number of seams and allowing for independent
breast support is described. The brassiere is produced from a circularly
knit blank having a first tubular portion, and integrally knit cylindrical
tubular welt portion, and an integrally knit second tubular portion.
Portions of each of the first and second tubular portions are cut and
removed to define right and left front portions, and the remaining portion
of one of the first or second tubular portions is inverted so that the
remaining parts of each of the first and second tubular portions extend
away from the welt portion in generally the same direction. Banding can be
attached to form neck and arm openings, and, where applicable, the front
and rear strap portions can be secured together, thereby forming a
finished brassiere. In this way, substantially seamless brassieres having
right and left breast covering portions made to have visually distinct
appearances can be readily and easily produced.
Inventors:
|
Marley, Jr.; Joel Wayne (Morganton, NC)
|
Assignee:
|
Alba-Waldensian, Inc. (Valdese, NC)
|
Appl. No.:
|
316831 |
Filed:
|
May 21, 1999 |
Current U.S. Class: |
66/173; 66/176; 450/92 |
Intern'l Class: |
D04B 009/54; A41B 009/06 |
Field of Search: |
66/169 R,170,171,172 R,173,175,176,177
450/86,92,70
2/76,73
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4341219 | Jul., 1982 | Kuznetz.
| |
4372322 | Feb., 1983 | Stern et al.
| |
4531525 | Jul., 1985 | Richards.
| |
4624115 | Nov., 1986 | Safrit et al.
| |
4816005 | Mar., 1989 | Braaten.
| |
5081854 | Jan., 1992 | Lonati.
| |
5479791 | Jan., 1996 | Osborne.
| |
5553468 | Sep., 1996 | Osborne.
| |
5592836 | Jan., 1997 | Schuster et al. | 66/176.
|
5605060 | Feb., 1997 | Osborne.
| |
5746068 | May., 1998 | Popa et al.
| |
5850745 | Dec., 1998 | Albright.
| |
5946944 | Sep., 1999 | Osborne | 66/176.
|
6082145 | Jul., 2000 | Lonati et al. | 66/176.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
2220150 | Sep., 1974 | FR.
| |
Primary Examiner: Worrell; Danny
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Alston & Bird LLP
Claims
That which is claimed:
1. A method of making a circularly knit brassiere blank comprising the
steps of:
knitting a first series of courses defining a first tubular portion;
knitting to said first series of courses a second series of courses
defining a cylindrical tubular welt;
knitting to said first series of courses a third series of courses defining
a second tubular portion, to thereby define a blank in the form of a
generally continuous tube with a cylindrical welt extending outwardly from
a central portion thereof.
2. A method of making a circularly knit brassiere blank according to claim
1, wherein said step of knitting a second series of courses comprises
knitting a turned welt which is relatively more resistant to stretch than
said first and second tubular portions.
3. A method of making a circularly knit brassiere blank according to claim
1, wherein said first tubular portion is substantially the same length as
said second tubular portion.
4. A method of making a circularly knit brassiere blank according to claim
1, wherein said steps of knitting said first and third series of courses
comprise reducing the amount of yarn input in certain regions of each of
said first and second tubular portions, to thereby minimize waste when the
blank is converted into a brassiere.
5. A substantially seamless knit brassiere comprising:
a generally ring-shaped band for encircling the upper torso of a wearer,
said band having front and rear sides;
a first body member secured to substantially the entire circumference of
said band and extending outwardly therefrom in the form of a first
loop-shaped strap and
a second body member secured to substantially the entire circumference of
said band and extending outwardly therefrom in the form of a second
loop-shaped strap, wherein each of said first and second body members is
integrally knit with said generally ring-shaped band, and each of said
first and second body members defines a breast-covering portion and a
shoulder portion.
6. A substantially seamless knit brassiere according to claim 5, wherein
said brassiere includes seams only on the shoulder portion thereof.
7. A substantially seamless knit brassiere according to claim 5, wherein
one of said first and second body members crosses over the other of said
first and second body members.
8. A substantially seamless knit brassiere according to claim 5, wherein
said first body member is formed from a first knit fabric and said second
body member is formed from a knit fabric having a visually distinct
appearance from said first fabric.
9. A method of making a circularly knit brassiere comprising the steps of:
knitting a first series of courses defining a first tubular portion;
knitting to said first series of courses a second series of courses
defining a cylindrical tubular welt;
knitting to said second series of courses a third series of courses
defining a second tubular portion;
cutting and removing portions of said first tubular portion to define front
and rear first strap portions therefrom and from said second tubular
portion to define front and rear second strap portions therefrom;
securing the front and rear first strap portions together to define a first
shoulder strap and second strap portions together to define a second
shoulder strap; and
inverting one of said shoulder straps such that said first and second
shoulder straps extend from said cylindrical tubular welt in substantially
the same direction.
10. A method of making a circularly knit brassiere according to claim 9,
further comprising the step of securing banding to cut edges formed from
said cutting and removing step, to thereby form finished edges.
11. A method of making a brassiere comprising the steps of:
circularly knitting a substantially continuous tubular blank having a first
tubular section, a second tubular section, and a cylindrical welt
extending outwardly from a central portion of said tubular blank at a
position between said first and second tubular blanks;
cutting and removing portions of each of said first and second tubular
sections to thereby define right and left body covering portions;
inverting one of said right and left body covering portions such that each
of said right and left body covering portions extends from said
cylindrical welt in generally the same direction; and
finishing the edges of said right and left body covering portions, to
thereby define a finished brassiere.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of finishing the
edges of said right and left body covering portions comprises sewing
elastic banding to edges formed by said cutting step.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of cutting and
removing portions of each of said first and second tubular portions is
performed to provide front and rear right body covering portions and front
and rear left body covering portions.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step of finishing the
edges of said right and left body covering portions comprises securing
said front and rear right body covering portions together and securing
said front and rear left body covering portions together, to thereby form
a pair of shoulder straps.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of finishing said
right and left body covering portions further comprises securing elastic
banding to edges formed by said cutting and removing step.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally relates to a substantially seamless brassiere, and
a blank and method for making the brassiere. More specifically, the
invention relates to a substantially seamless criss-cross brassiere which
can be readily and easily manufactured, to have a variety of visual
appearances.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Brassieres are generally designed to be close-fitting, and can represent a
source of significant discomfort to the wearer. For example, in addition
to being constrictive, the seams and narrow straps often forming a part of
the brassieres can tend to press uncomfortably into the wearer's flesh,
particularly after they have been worn for a length of time or when the
wearer has been physically active.
Because societal norms generally require that such garments should be worn,
and many women must rely on them to provide a degree of support and
coverage, the discomfort associated with them is typically viewed as
something which must simply be tolerated. Furthermore, because the
production of brassieres is generally a labor intensive process, their
manufacturing costs can be relatively high. Therefore, manufacturers have
attempted to find ways for simplifying the production of brassieres in
order to reduce the costs associated therewith, in addition to looking for
ways to improve wearer comfort.
For example, commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,479,791 and 5,553,468 to
Osborne, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference,
describe circularly knit brassieres which, in addition to being capable of
simplified manufacture, also provide enhanced wearer comfort. To this end,
the brassieres described in the Osborne patents are each produced from a
substantially seamless circularly knit tubular blank having a turned welt
at one end thereof, with portions of the tubular portion of the blank
being removed to define neck and arm openings, and the front and back
sections of the tubular portions of the blank being sewn together at the
shoulders. Banding is then provided at the neck and arm openings to form a
finished brassiere.
Another brassiere is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,525 to Richards. The
Richards patent describes a brassiere blank made on a circular knitting
machine and having a torso portion with a pair of breast cups and straps
knit integrally with the torso portion and having turned welt portions at
each end of the cylindrical blank. The tubular blank is slit on one side,
laid flat for cutting neck and arm openings, and seamed at each side to
form a brassiere. The brassieres described in this patent therefore have
side seams which can tend to cause discomfort to the wearer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention provides a brassiere which has only a minimal number
of seams, and which can be readily and easily manufactured. In addition,
the instant invention enables the individual support of each of the
breasts of the wearer, thereby providing unique comfort and support.
Furthermore, the instant invention enables the provision of unique visual
and aesthetic properties to the brassieres.
Initially, it is to be noted that while the garment is referred throughout
this application as being a "brassiere", this term is meant in a broad
sense to thereby encompass any type of relatively close-fitting upper
torso covering garment. For example, the brassiere can be worn under other
items of clothing in the form of an undergarment, as a camisole, athletic
top, bathing suit top, dancewear, shirt, halter top, or the like.
The instant invention desirably has a crisscross construction, and is
capable of being produced without side seams (which might bear
uncomfortably on the wearer). In fact, in one aspect of the invention, the
brassiere has two shoulder straps (one for covering each of the respective
shoulders of the wearer), and only a single seam is provided along each of
the shoulder straps, thereby resulting in a substantially seamless
brassiere. As will be discussed more fully below, the seams can be
provided to correspond to the tops of the wearer's shoulders, or they can
be offset from the tops of the wearer's shoulders (such as by making the
front strap portions longer than the rear strap portions or vice versa),
so that when the ends of the strap portions are joined together, the seams
are offset from the tops of the wearer's shoulders and positioned
forwardly or rearwardly thereof.
The substantially seamless brassiere is achieved by way of the blank being
circularly knit in a substantially continuous manner to include a first
series of knit courses defining a first tubular portion, a second series
of courses integrally knit with the first series of courses and forming a
cylindrical tubular portion (e.g., in the form of a turned welt), and a
third series of courses defining a second tubular portion knit to the
second series of courses. The resulting blank is in the form of an
elongate, generally continuous tubular structure having a cylindrical welt
extending outwardly from a central portion of the tube to thereby encircle
the tubular structure.
Portions of each of the first tubular portion and the second tubular
portion are then removed to define right and left body covering portions,
and one of the right and left body covering portions is inverted so that
each of the right and left body covering portions extends from the
cylindrical welt in generally the same direction. In order to minimize
material waste in these portions which are to be removed during
transformation of the blank into a brassiere, the portions designed to be
removed are, in some aspects of the invention, formed so as to require
less material input. For example, the stitches in these areas can be
lengthened to produce a meshy fabric in the areas which will become waste,
a less expensive yarn could be used to knit those areas, etc.
Edges of the right and left body portions are finished, to thereby form a
brassiere. As mentioned above, in one form of the invention, the right and
left body covering portions include both front and rear portions, with
these front and rear portions being secured together to form shoulder
straps for the brassiere. In another aspect of the invention, the right
and left body covering portions could include front covering portions
which are adapted to cover both of the wearer's breasts, and which are
adapted to be secured together to form a generally halter-shaped
structure. Also, it is to be noted that the steps of inverting and
finishing of the edges of the right and left body covering portions can be
performed in any order found to be efficient by the manufacturer, within
the scope of the instant invention.
The blank can also include regions which are knit differently from other
regions, to form discrete regions with more or less stretch than other of
the regions of the respective blank portion, to provide select regions of
more or less support. Furthermore, the first tubular portion can be knit
so as to be visually distinct from the second tubular portion, for
example, by using yarns of different colors in each of the regions,
knitting in a visual pattern in one of the tubular portions, varying the
knit stitch pattern or the like, etc., such that one breast cup of the
brassiere has a different visual appearance from the other breast cup.
Also, plating of the yarns could be used to provide different visual
characteristics to each of the respective first and second tubular
portions, whereby brassieres can be produced having different visual
characteristics on each of the right and left sides. For example, one
tubular portion could be knit to have stripes, while the other is knit as
a solid color, to thereby produce a brassiere having a striped first
breast covering side and a solid second breast covering side. As a further
alternative, a spandex yarn could be plated while knitting the first and
second tubular portions, such that when one of the portions is inverted to
form the finished brassiere, one side has a shimmery effect due to the
spandex appearing on the outer fabric surface of that side of the
brassiere. As illustrated, because of the construction and manufacturing
process forming a part of the instant invention, the provision of unique
aesthetic appearances is enabled, while also providing a brassiere having
the comfort of a generally seamless brassiere.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blank made according to the instant
invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1,
illustrating the manner in which the welt is secured to the first and
second tubular portions;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the blank shown in FIG. 1, illustrating the
lines along which the blank can be cut to form one embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the blank shown in FIG. 3 after it has been
cut along the lines shown in FIG. 3, and showing where banding can be
added to finish the edges;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating how the blank shown in FIG. 4 can
be inverted and the front and rear portions seamed together; and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a finished brassiere according to the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of
the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many
different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments
set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this
disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope
of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like
elements throughout.
With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a blank, shown generally
at 10, formed according to the instant invention. The blank 10 is
desirably circularly knit to include a first tubular portion 12 having a
first length a. A tubular, cylindrical welt 14 is integrally knit to the
first tubular portion 12 so that it extends outwardly from the first
tubular portion a distance b. In a preferred form of the invention, the
tubular, cylindrical welt 14 will be in the form of a turned welt, such
terminology being known to those having ordinary skill in the art. Such
welts are generally formed by holding a set up course, drawing the fabric
away until a sufficient length has been knit to form the double-thickness
welt, then transferring the held course back onto the needles so that it
is knit into the structure.
A second tubular portion 16 is integrally knit to the tubular, cylindrical
welt 14. This second tubular portion 16 has a second length c. In many
embodiments of the invention, this length c of the second tubular portion
16 will be approximately equal to the length a of the first tubular
portion 12.
Each of the tubular portions 12, 16 and the tubular cylindrical portion 14
desirably has a circumference which is sized to correspond with the size
of the wearer who is expected to wear a brassiere made from the particular
blank. In other words, the tubular circumference of the blank will
generally be on the order of the same size as the circumference of a torso
of a wearer for whom a brassiere is designed to fit, or somewhat smaller
than the intended wearer's torso such that when the knit fabric gives
through its natural extensibility, it provides a close fit about the
wearer. For example, some extensibility may be provided through the
particular knit stitch construction used, while stretch may also be
provided by way of the incorporation of stretch yarns in the fabric, in
addition to or instead of the stretch provided through the knit structure
itself. Furthermore, it is noted that the amount of stretch can be varied
at discrete points throughout the dimension of the tubular portions 12, 16
and the cylindrical tubular portion 14, for either aesthetic purposes or
to vary the physical characteristics thereof. For example, it may be
desirable to knit-in regions of less stretch to provide supplemental
support regions on the finished brassiere, etc.
As illustrated more clearly in FIG. 2, which is a cross-section taken along
lines 2--2 of FIG. 1, the cylindrical welt 14 extends outwardly from the
first and second tubular portions 12, 16, thereby defining a length b
(with the actual length of fabric forming the welt being about two times
length b). It is noted that the knit stitches illustrated have been
simplified for purposes of clearly illustrating that the tubular,
cylindrical welt 14 is formed by way of knit stitches and integrally
formed with the first and second tubular portions 12, 16 by way of the
knitting process. Other knit fabric and stitch structures can be utilized
within the scope of the instant invention. In fact, it is desirable that
this tubular, cylindrical welt portion 14 is fashioned so as to be more
resistant to stretch than the tubular portions 12, 16, since the welt
portion 14 will form the lower band portion of the finished brassiere once
it is fashioned from the blank 10. The resistance to stretch can be done
through alteration of the knit stitch construction, the feeding or
floating in of additional stretch yarn(s) such as those made from spandex,
natural rubber, or the like, or other methods conventionally known in the
art for varying the stretch of knit fabrics.
As noted above, the first tubular portion 12 and second tubular portion 16
desirably have lengths a and c which are substantially equal to each other
in length. In this way, when a brassiere is cut from the blank 10, it is
relatively easy to ensure that the right and left portions of the
brassiere are similarly sized, and that waste is minimized.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the tubular blank is desirably cut along lines
22a, 22b, 24a, 24b along first tubular portion 12 with portions 30, 32
being removed as waste. Similarly, second tubular portion 16 of the blank
10 is cut along lines 26a, 28a, and in corresponding mirror image on the
rear side of the tubular blank in the same manner as with the first
tubular portion 12. Following cutting, pieces 34, 36 of the second tubular
portion 16 are removed as waste.
The cut edges formed at 22a and 22b will form one arm opening on one side
of a finished brassiere, while the cut edges formed at 24a and 24b will
form a portion of a neck opening on the finished brassiere. Likewise, the
cut edge formed at 26a and its corresponding edge on the rear side of the
blank will form a second arm opening in the finished blank, while the cut
edge formed at 28a and the corresponding one on the rear of the blank will
define a portion of a neck opening of the brassiere.
As shown more clearly in FIG. 4, the remaining portions of the blank can
then be finished to form a completed brassiere. In particular, the blank
now defines a front right strap portion 40 and a rear right strap portion
42 formed from first tubular portion 12 while corresponding left front
strap portion 44 and left rear strap portion 46 are formed from second
tubular portion 16. It is noted that in order to minimize waste, the
portions 30, 32, 34, 36 which are designed to be removed during the
transformation of the blank into a brassiere, can be formed so as to
include less yarn than the portions of the blank which will remain to form
portions of the brassiere. For example, methods such as lengthening the
stitches, using different-sized or less expensive yarns to form these
waste portions, or the like (e.g. lessening the waste material in a manner
like that described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,479,791 and
5,553,468) will desirably be utilized.
The front and rear right strap portions 40, 42 are then sewn or otherwise
secured together, as shown at 66, for example, so as to form a shoulder
strap 60. Likewise, the left front and rear strap portions 44, 46 are sewn
together to form a left shoulder strap 62. In the illustrated embodiment,
the front and rear right strap portions 40, 42, and likewise the front and
rear left strap portions 44, 46 are illustrated as being substantially the
same size. Therefore, when the ends of the strap forming portions remote
from the cylindrical welt 14 are sewn together, it results that the seam
66 formed by the securement of the straps together is positioned generally
on top of a wearer's shoulder in the finished article. However, it is
noted that the strap forming portions could be secured together at other
portions such that the seam is offset from the top portion of the wearer's
shoulder. Furthermore, they can be secured together in a releasable
fashion as opposed to a more permanent fashion such as sewing. However, in
the preferred embodiment of the invention, the front and rear right strap
forming portions are sewn together at their respective strap forming
portion ends and the left strap forming portions are sewn together in like
manner.
The cut edges of the blank are then finished, preferably by sewing elastic
banding to each of the cut regions, i.e., along cut region 50 (formed by
cutting along lines 22a and 22b) to form a right arm hole 68 and along
line 52 (formed by cutting along lines 26a and the corresponding line on
the rear of the blank) to form a left arm hole 69 and along line 54
(formed by cutting along lines 24a and 24b) to form the edge of the right
strap portion and a portion of neck opening 72, and along line 56 (formed
by cutting along line 28a and the corresponding line on the rear of the
blank) to form the edge of the left strap portion and a portion of neck
opening 72. It is to be noted that the order in which the finishing steps
are performed is a matter of manufacturing choice: for example, the strap
forming portions can be secured together, then the banding added, or the
banding can be secured to the cut edges first, and then the strap-forming
portions secured together. Furthermore, the inverting step (discussed more
specifically below) can be performed at any point during the process, the
order being determined according to which achieves the most optimal
manufacturing efficiencies for the particular manufacturer.
One of the strap forming portions is inverted so that both straps extend
upward from the turned welt 14 in the same direction in the manner shown
in FIGS. 5 and 6. For example, in FIGS. 5, the left strap portion 62 is
shown being inserted through the center of the tubular cylindrical welt 14
so that the right and left strap forming portions 60, 62, respectively are
extending away from the tubular cylindrical welt in the same direction.
The finished brassiere 70 provides individual breast support for the
wearer, and is readily and easily manufactured. Furthermore, as
illustrated in FIG. 6, because of the criss-cross construction, in some
embodiments of the invention the left portion of the brassiere can be
shaped so that it crosses to provide under-breast support for the wearer's
right breast, and the right portion of the brassiere can be likewise
shaped so that it crosses to provide under-breast support for the wearer's
left breast.
In the shoulder strap version of the invention, the brassiere 70 desirably
includes a right strap 60, a left strap 62, a right arm opening 68, a left
arm opening 69, and a neck opening 72. Alternatively, the right and left
front portions could be tied or otherwise operatively secured together to
form a halter-shaped brassiere.
In one aspect of the invention, the first tubular portion 12 and second
tubular portion 16 are formed from different colored yarns. In this way,
when the finished brassiere is completed, one of the strap portions and
breast cups has a first visual appearance while the other has a second
distinct visual appearance. For example, yarns can be plated (e.g. with
spandex appearing on one fabric surface) so that when one portion of the
blank is inverted, the resulting garment has one side with a visually
distinct appearance from the other (e.g. the spandex provides a more
shimmery appearance.) Similarly, one side (e.g. the right side) can be
knit to have polka dots or stripes, while the other side (e.g. the left
side) is knit from a solid color. As will be appreciated by those of
ordinary skill in the art, various other combinations of visual colors,
patterns, etc. can be used within the scope of the instant invention. As a
result, a virtually limitless range of visual appearances can readily and
easily be provided to the brassiere.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind
to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the
benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the
associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention
is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that
modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the
scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein,
they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes
of limitation.
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